Piston valve for musical wind instruments



Oct. 28, 1941. R. B. OLDS 2,260,723

PISTON VALVE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 18, 1941 120612 forfi w/wza K 0405 zaaa 5 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UN ITED STATES PATENTOFFICE PISTON VALVE FOR MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in musical wind instruments andparticularly to piston valves employed therein for increasing anddecreasing the effective length of the air column of the instrument.Heretofore musical instruments employing piston type valves have beendesigned wherein on reciprocation of the valve the effective length ofthe air column of the instrument is varied. It has been customary insuch constructions to form the exterior of .the valve with a perfectlysmooth cylindrical surface, the valve being frequently ground andpolished for this purpose so that it will very closely fit the interiorof the valve casing. A close fit is desirable in order to preventleakage regardless of the position of the valve in varying the effectivelength of the air column.

Such constructions, wherein the exterior surface of the valve is groundperfectly smooth and cylindrical, are disadvantageous for the followingreasons: Where the lit is extremely close it is impossible to maintain asuitable lubricant between the engaging surfaces between the valve andcasing. Moisture and saliva of the player are insufficient to properlylubricate these valves. It is highly important in such instruments ascornets, trumpets, and the like, that although a close fit is maintainedthat the valve operate very freely and easily without binding ordragging. Particularly is this true in the case of such wind instrumentsas trumpets that may be played with very short notes requiring a quickshifting of the valve. Where the fit is very close any small particle ofdust that may enter between the engaging surfaces during a concert orother rendition may cause the valve to stick or the speed of itsoperation to decrease.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pistontype valve for wind musical instruments wherein the design of the valveis such as to enable a supply of suitable lubricant to be maintainedadjacent the engaging surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a piston type valve forwind musical instruments wherein the piston valve has a series of spacedraised portions on its exterior providing the sole points of engagementbetween the valve and the valve casing, thus enabling the interveningspaces to receive and retain a supply of lubricant and in the event thata particle of dust or other foreign matter should enter between thepiston valve and the casing it may quickly work its Way into thesespaces and thus never bind nor reduce the speed of operation of thevalve. By having only spaced, raised portions forming the points ofengagement between the valve and the casing the friction of the valve ismaterially reduced, thus increasing its speed of operation and freenessof operation over valves having smooth cylindrical exterior surfaces.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawingfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a trumpet to which the inventionis illustrated as having been applied.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the casing of valve A on thetrumpet shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the piston in elevation therein.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2illustrating the valve in enlarged section and details thereof slightlyexaggerated.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the invention has beenillustrated as applied to a trumpet having a mouthpiece l0 applied to atube H which leads to the valve casing l2 of valve A. The valve casingI2 is ported, one of its ports being connected by a suitable tube I3 tovalve casing M of an adjacent v'alve. This, in turn, is also ported andconnected to the valve casing l5 of another adjacent valve. From valvecasing IS a tube l5 leads to the-bell ll of the instrument. A U-tube l8has its ends connected to other ports of valve casing l2 and, similarly,a smaller U-tube has its ends connected to the ports of valve casing I5.The smallest U-tube 20 has its ends connected to'the ports of valvecasing I4. Within the valve casings l2, l4 and I5 there are reciprocablepiston type valves, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 2. The bodyportion of the piston type valve is generally cylindrical, having portsformed therein indicated at 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, respectively.Tubes extend through the body portion of the valve connecting port 22with port 23, port 24 with port 25, and port 2| with port 26. When thevalve is in its uppermost position shown, port 24 being connected withport 25, there is established communication between tube I3 and tube II.On depressing the valve, tube is connected through port 22 and port 23to one end of tube l8, while the other end of tube |8 is connectedthrough ports 26 and 2| to tube I 3. Thus when the valve is in depressedposition the effective length of the air column of the instrumentbetween mouthpiece l and bell I1 is increased by the length of tube [8,thus varying the note produced from the note that is produced when thevalve is in its uppermost position. The valves of the instrument are notall identical in shape but will vary in their construction dependingupon the arrangements of the lengthening tubes, such as l9 and 20, andthe positions of the ports in their respective casings. Also, it will beunderstood that when the invention is applied to other types of musicalinstruments, such as, for example, bass horns, French horns, and thelike, there may be occasion to vary the position and arrangements of thepassages through the valve.

The mechanism for guiding the valve and for urging it into a normaluppermost position may likewise vary and forms no part of the presentinvention. The construction shown consists of a guide 2'! having a boss28 which enters a recess in the casing to keep the guide from turningtherein. The guide has a diametrical pin 29 extending across a slot inthe upper end of the valve, thus guiding the valve during itsreciprocation. A spring 30 is compressed between the guide 21 and ashoulder 3| urging the valve into its uppermost position. It may bedepressed by a handle 32 which extends upwardly through a cap 33. 34 and35 merely designate layers of felt which render the operation of thevalve noiseless in moving it into either of its extreme positions.

The invention consists in forming or providing on the exterior of thepiston valve a series of recesses 36 which in the preferred form ofconstruction extend longitudinally of the piston valve, thus defining aseries of spaced raised portions 31, which form the sole points ofengagement between the piston valve and the valve casing. These raisedportions extend longitudinally of the valve except around the margins ofthe ports 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26, Where they are continuous, asindicated at 38. The raised portions 38, which are continuous around theports, form and maintain a leakproof joint with the interior of thecasing around the ports in the casing to which the various tubes areconnected.

With this type of construction it will be appreciated that the groovesor recesses 36 form small chambers for the reception of a suitablelubricant, thus keeping the engaging surfaces between the valve andeasing lubricated at all times.

In the preferred form of construction the top and bottom of the pistonvalve has a margin 39 of a continuously extending raised portion. Asonly the raised portions or high points are in engagement with the valvecasing the friction between the valve and its casing is materiallyreduced, thus increasing the speed of operation of the valve. In theevent that dust or other foreign matter should enter beteween the valveand its casing this may quickly work its way into the recesses 36 andthus it will not cause the valve to stick or bind or in other waysdetract from the speed of operation of the valve.

The recesses 36 which define the raised portion 31 may be formed in anyof a number of different ways. In constructing the valve it may be firstrendered of tubular shape, the ports cut in it and the connecting tubessilver soldered in place. The recesses may then be milled out or may beeaten or etched out with acid or, if desired, a suitable die may be usedto press the recesses in the surface of the valve. In finishing theconstruction the high points or raised portions are merely surfaced oifso as to snugly fit the interior of the valve casing.

It will be appreciated that the improved valve construction is in no waylimited in its use or application to the instrument shown but may beusedon cornets, French horns, bass horns, or any instrument conventionallyemploying a piston type valve. Furthermore, the spring mechanism forurging the valve into its uppermost and normal position may likewisevary in accordance with any conventional or preferred practice.

The depth of the recesses 38 does not have to be material or as great asthat exaggeratedly shown in Fig. 3. It need only be a few thousandths ofan inch to satisfactorily accomplish the desired results. While therecesses 36 are illustrated as being vertically arranged it will beunderstood that they may be given other shapes, that is they may behelically arranged or traverse each other and in fact within the areasdefined by the margins of the ports and the top and bottom margins, therecesses may have any desired or preferred design.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that animproved piston valve is provided which not only provides for suitablylubricating the surfaces but reduces the friction and at the same timemaintains a leak-proof joint in its various positions.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as disclosed by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston reciprocable in the casing adaptedupon reciprocation to produce an increase or decrease of the effectivelength of the air column, there being a series of spaced points ofengagement between the piston and the casing with the intervening spacesdesigned to receive and hold lubricant, and means on the pistonproviding a continuous line of engagement between the piston and easingat the top and bottom of the piston.

2. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston having passages therethrough adaptedupon reciprocation to connect and disconnect the ports in the casing toincrease and decrease the length of the air column, the piston having aseries of spaced raised portions on its surface forming the soleengagement between the piston and the casing enabling the interveningspaces to receive and hold lubricant, and means on the piston providinga continuous line of engagement between the piston and casing at the topand bottom of the piston and around each of the ports in the piston.

3. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston having passages therethrough adaptedupon reciprocation to connect and disconnect the ports in the casing toincrease and decrease the length of the air column, the piston having aseries of spaced raised portions on its surface forming the soleengagement between the piston and the casing enabling the interveningspaces to receive and hold lubricant, said raised portions beingcontinuous around the margins of the passages through the piston.

4. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston having passages therethrough adaptedupon reciprocation to connect and disconnect the ports in the casing toincrease and decrease the length of the air column, the piston having aseries of spaced raised portions on its surface forming the soleengagement between the piston and the casing enabling the interveningspaces to receive and hold lubricant, said raised portions extendinglongitudinally of the piston and circumferentially around the top and.bottom thereof.

5. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston having passages therethrough adaptedupon reciprocation to connect and disconnect the ports in the casing toincrease and decrease the length of the air column, the piston having aseries of spaced raised portions on its surface forming the soleengagement between the piston and the casing enabling the interveningspaces to receive and hold lubricant, said raised portions extendinglongitudinally of the piston except around the margins of the passageswhere they extend continuously therearound.

6. A piston valve for wind musical instruments comprising meansproviding a ported valve casing disposed in the means defining the aircolumn of the instrument, a piston having passages therethrough adaptedupon reciprocation to connect and disconnect the ports in the casing toincrease and decrease the length of the air column, the

piston having a series of spaced raised portions on its surface formingthe sole engagement between the piston and the casing enabling theintervening spaces to receive and hold lubricant, said raised portionsextending longitudinally of the piston except around the margins of thepassages where they extend continuously therearound.

7. A piston for piston valves of wind musical instruments comprising apiston having passages therethrough, the exterior surface of the pistonhaving a series of spaced raised portions forming the sole engagementbetween the piston and the casing in which the piston is adapted tooperate, there being continuous circumferential raised portions at thetop and bottom of the piston.

8. A piston for piston valves of wind musical instruments comprising apiston having passages therethrough, the exterior surface of the pistonhaving a series of spaced raised portions forming the sole engagementbetween the piston and the casing in which the piston is adapted tooperate, there being continuous circumferential raised portions at thetop and bottom of the piston, and continuous raised portions around eachof the passages.

9. A piston for piston valves of wind musical instruments comprising apiston having passages therethrough and having on its exterior surfacespaced raised portions forming the sole engagement between the pistonand the casing in which the piston is adapted to be operated, therebeing continuous raised portions around each of the passages.

REGINALD B. OLDS.

